Q & A from the AM Service on Sunday, May 2, 2010
Questions received after the sermon re: 1 Corinthians 5
Sermon Title: Sin and the Church
MAKING JUDGMENTS
Q: I am still confused when we are to judge? We have to make judgments about people; as to good or bad, as to associate with them.
A: The matter of judging will be made clearer as we come to First Corinthians 6:1-8. We also will be looking at how God tells us to resolve sin issues between fellow believers.
Q: Is there a point at which, after using the instructions of 1 Cor. 5 we can make a judgment that a "professing Christian" is really an unbeliever, and so treat them differently than an erring Christians?
A: If we use the criteria of the biblical profile of a believer, then we can evaluate if this person looks like the profile given in First John or if they are just “naming the name of Christ” but are not His (Matt. 7 they call Him Lord but do not do what He says). Obedience to Christ is what we can measure: Are they obeying or not? Are we obeying or not?
Q: 1 Cor. 5:3 … Paul says he has "passed judgment" on the one in this passage. How can we judge others when we all have sin in our lives? We all are guilty and worthy of judgment (except because of Christ)
A: The judgment is “calling the sin what it is”, but it is not sentencing someone to hell. God only has this prerogative.
Q: Should we rebuke unbelievers?
A: It all depends: are they children, family, good friends, or strangers? The tenor of the passage is to judge what is wrong or right among believers. We do have a social conscience regarding justice and fairness to all as citizens of a great country. The authority being expressed in 1 Cor. 5 is limited to church matters and believers.
Q: How should I respond to a person who claims to be a Christian but is living in sin and is not a member of a church body to experience discipline? Do I follow I Cor. 5:9-11?
A. We have no authority or obligation as a whole, but we may share in love what the scriptures say. If God can use you to turn a brother or sister from their sin, you will have delivered them from great pain. Our sharing in this context is to restore them and seek to have them live as Christ wants for their good and deliverance. Restoring rather than the goal of judging is the motive and purpose.
Q: A family member who influences other family members is so much in sin but believes or says she is a Christian. How do I, who am not perfect, tell that person they are in sin and I am ashamed of this example?
A: Follow the scriptural guide lines of Galatians 6:1-2 in this situation. We will look at it later.
Q: How do we as Christians lead others to Christ if we are not to associate with those who are sinful? A sin is a sin - no sin has more weight than another sin - we all are with sin.
A: I think I know what you mean that all sin is sin, but there is a difference in a child molester vs. someone who tells a lie. We are told that it is impossible not to be around all kinds of sinners in this world. The issue is: do we allow or tolerate outrageous sin in the church and do nothing. This is the great issue facing the Catholic Church at this time. If children are molested by priests, then what will the church do? Something, nothing, or promote the priest who did the crime to another position. This is a matter of public scandal at this time. I do not cite this example to trash the Catholic Church and its problems at this time.
Q: Does Paul's teaching to not associate with Christians who are sexually immoral greedy, etc. apply to Christians that don't go to the same church as us? i.e. a neighbor or co-worker
A: We have no authority over Christians outside our own local church. Yet we have an obligation to obey God’s word to us as to who we will associate with who claim the name of Jesus Christ and claim to be a brother.
Q: If our brother or sister commits sin and I see him/her commit the sin, do I have the right to tell them or pray to the Lord?
A: Galatians 6:1-2 is what we are told to do.
Q: How do you explain the Matthew 18 principle? Does it apply here?
A: We will consider Matthew 18 as we study 1 Cor. 6:1-8.
CHURCH DISCIPLINE
Q: Some believe the man put out of the church in 1 Cor. 5 was not saved when he was put out, but after this time out of the church. Can you comment on why this understanding is incorrect?
A: The man was disciplined based upon his profession to be a brother. How he responds to the discipline may make it clear whether he is a brother or not. A brother would be disciplined by God who could cause such sorrow as to bring about repentance (2 Cor. 7:10).
Treat him according to his profession. Who knows if he is saved or not? Paul assumes he is saved and will be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus!
Q: Once a person is expelled can they ever come back to the body?
A: Restoration is the goal of discipline. Repentance of sin and seeking God’s forgiveness would lead to be restored to the local church.
Q: What about a brother who is struggling with a drug/alcohol addiction who makes progress toward sobriety, but then falls back into the addiction. Should this brother be kicked out of the church?
A: Habitual sin without repentance and confession to God brings removal. To be overcome in a sin is not the issue. We all do sin (1 John 1:8-10). But we cannot be involved continually in drunkenness and drug addiction without needing correction
DIVORCE
Q: What do you do with a member who divorces their spouse (both believers) without biblical cause?
A: This is a delicate issue. If not members there is little we can do. If they are members of the church, the elders would have to determine the issues of sin - and other issues - before recommending the right course of action.
Q: My close friend was put out of the church because she became involved with a married man and refused to repent. I broke off communication with her based on pastoral counseling. She has continued to write me once a year. I do not respond. Am I wrong to keep this up or after all these years should I reconnect with her? Is she forever cut off from the Body? Is this "shunning" like in the Quaker or Mennonite religion?
A: Discontinuing close association with a brother or sister in sin is for their restoration and for the protection of the God’s people. Sin is pervasive and dangerous. Avoid contact until there has been repentance for the sin. They are not forever cut off from the body of Christ unless they want to be cut off by choosing a life of sin or to confess their sin and return to God.
Q: I'm currently going through a divorce (my wife's decision). My wife says she never loved me and refuses to try to do anything to reconcile. I've met someone and believe we are in love. I want to court her but I know I need to finalize current situation. Does a piece of paper make a marriage or is it when two hearts become one?
A: Marriage is more than a piece of paper and it is more than a feeling of “I am in love.” Genesis 2 outlines marriage as: leaving parents, cleaving or gluing oneself to the other in a life-long covenant, and then becoming one flesh (conjugal privileges of sex as a celebration of the covenant made between God and each other).
The public needs to know if you are in a covenant to care for the person married, or is it a relationship of convenience that will accept none of the responsibilities of covenant love when there are financial, emotional, or health issues that go beyond just having a sex partner. Marriage brings covenanted obligations to love, cherish, and stand with the marriage partner.
PUNISHMENT
Q: Can you explain why someone can repent of a sin and receive forgiveness yet still suffer criminal punishment? Example: a murderer or rapist - this person would be restored to the body of the Church, but still pay for his crime.
A: Sin has social consequences as well as affecting our relationship with God. Jesus Christ paid for the sin so that one is free to go to heaven. But choices have consequences and so human laws that are broken may have to be paid according to those laws.
The thief on the cross was able to go to Paradise because of acknowledging Jesus Christ, but he still had to die for the crimes he committed against the Roman government.
SEXUAL SIN
Q: How does God feel about homosexuality? (all the stages of being gay i.e. bisexual or having sex with only men or with only women)
A: See Romans 1; 1 Cor. 6:9; Genesis 19
Q: What about Gay people - do we not associate with them?
A: READ the passage: do not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother and engages in unrepentant sin. People who are not believers do not come under the restrictions of the passage. We may have contact with them and not sin.
Q: Some say they are born homosexual and it seems to be apparent in some people very early in life. How do you explain this?
A: Not pertinent to the discussion in 1 Cor. 5. We might say that all men are born sinners meaning they have a sin nature within and in time they will act out in various deeds of sin. So we all were born with sinful bents. Just to single out homosexuality as a genetic bent as an excuse for the activity could set us up to then say, I was born with a genetic bent to molest children. Would we accept this as legitimacy to do the sin?
Q: A sister who claimed to be a Christian is living-in with her boyfriend and swore they are not in any sexual relationship. Should I associate with them or am I being tolerant?
A: We are told to shun the appearance of evil. There are some people who no doubt have done similar things and kept their word. It seems very unlikely that celibacy and purity could be maintained by a couple in such a situation. At the same time the neighbors would certainly have a cloud of suspension over the couple who claim to be Christian while living together.
Q: I am a friend who is concerned for a believer who does not go to this church, but is dating non-believers; goes clubbing to dance provocativly and commits sexual sin in a monogamous relationship. How could I confront her with love? And do I stop doing things with her based on this scripture?
A: If she professes Jesus Christ and you are her friend, show her 1 Corinthians 5. Let this be your guide.
Q: Would you treat your own family the same way if they to were sexually immoral? Both my kids practice 1 Cor. 5:11. Do you expect the ones with adult children who sin to disassociate with are own kids?
A: My family has lived through the sin of immorality that was confessed, repented of, and restored to the church family. It happened in this church, not somewhere else.
Q: If the immoral believer is a member of your family do you still cut off fellowship with him or her?
A: This is one of the most difficult situations to deal with. We are not to withhold love, but we are to make it clear that we stand on God’s Word in calling the sin whatever God calls it. Sometimes in family situations it is difficult to have no contact because of holidays, birthdays, and other family events.
Q: What if the sinning believer is a close family member? (Is lying BAD, or sin, to prevent escalation of a quarrelsome atmosphere?)
A:They should be confronted with the truth about the wrong behavior. This seems reasonable even if it were a family of non-Christians. Truth to them in love about the sinful conduct.
Q: Does 1 Cor 5:11 parallel with 2 Thess. 3:6? If so, how do you alienate blood-family? Especially when you may be their example of godliness.
A: The price of following Christ in Matthew 12:37-38 is to put Him above all family ties. Family is a divine gift from God but must not be our God. Many a follower of Jesus Christ paid a great price in being alienated by the family because of their faith in Jesus Christ.
The example we need to set before our children is that we obey God and love Jesus Christ. Love for Jesus Christ is shown by keeping His commandments (see John 15). So let us obey God above all else and then our family will know and see Christ in us.
Q: I have a very close friend who is living with a man who is not her husband. She tells me she is unhappy in the relationship and then she tells me they plan to marry. She has stopped going to church. Should I not see her at all. Besides pray, how do I help her?
A: What does the passage tell you to do in 1 Cor. 5? That is what you are to do!
Q: We have Christian friends - they do not go to church. Can we eat with them if they are in sexual sin?
A: What does the 1 Cor. 5 passage tell you to do? It is not what I say that matters it is what does God say to do! Do not accommodate your views to what the culture or closeness tells you to do rather do what God says.
Q: What is your position regarding living together before marriage with no sex until after marriage?
A: Certainly it is a questionable thing to do. We are to live so that people see us taking Christ and His Word seriously. This opens the couple to all kinds of suspicion both by the Christian community and non-Christian community. It is not fleeing temptation to be sexually active before marriage. One is walking right into the arms of temptation. Jesus Christ told us to pray, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
ASSOCIATING WITH UNBELIEVERS
Q: How should we associate with a non-believer at our workplace who gossip maliciously, openly lie, are arrogant, and mean-spirited?
A: Just for the sake of mental health and respect for your own ears and thoughts you should choose to be around people who are wholesome. Proverbs tells us the kinds of people to avoid: angry, greedy, immoral, etc. Try to protect your heart, eyes, and ears in every situation.
MORE QUESTIONS
Q: Is it okay to say nothing about the sin of someone that is obvious and just pray for her/him?
A: Are they a brother or a non-Christian? If a brother, consider Galatians 6:1-2.
Q: Should we interject ourselves in the middle of a situation that we observe, but not directly involved?
A: Wise men avoid quarrels that are not theirs. Minding one’s own business is good business.
Q: Why did you endorse Obama?
A: You heard something I did not say. We do not promote any politician from the pulpit. We did say a few weeks ago, “do you pray for people in office that you may not have voted for?” We are to pray for whoever holds governing places of authority (1 Timothy 2) and to submit to them (Romans 13).
Later, we will address public policy issues that violate the clear teaching of scripture while seeking to submit to whoever God allows to be put into public office.
Q: Modern examples of "idol temples"?
A: There are many: Buddhist temples, temples to other gods besides the one and true God and His Son Jesus Christ. If you were to visit India, they have a multitude of gods and idols. These are the religious idols of our day besides the warning about attitudinal idols such as “greed which is idolatry” in Colossians 3:5.
Q: Why do we boast? Why do we worship idols?
A: Our pride and sin from the beginning is that man wants to be in the place of God. This desire brought our downfall from Genesis 3 onward.
Worship is an innate desire in man. Our problem is what we choose to worship. Romans 1 says that men have gone so far from the one true God that they choose to worship animals instead of the Creator. We are creature worshippers until God opens our hearts to the truth that He alone is worthy to be worshipped. He alone is the Creator.
